President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan envisions a new era of growth and prosperity once the “terror-free Türkiye” project is complete, framing the country as a crucial island of stability amidst global unrest.
“A new path will open before Türkiye once we get rid of the terrorism that has been holding our nation back for half a century. As the resources allocated to the fight against terror are channeled to education, health, production and transport, Türkiye’s development journey will further speed up,” Erdoğan told a press conference following a cabinet meeting late on May 18.
Türkiye launched what it calls the “terror-free Türkiye project” that stipulates the dissolution and disarmament of PKK terror organization, which announced its decision to this end a year ago.
The process is still running with expectations that PKK will fully drop the weapons and the government will tackle the political and social aspects of the process through a set of legislation.
“All our efforts and endeavors are aimed at building such a Türkiye. There is no compromise, slowing down or backing down from this, nor will there ever be,” Erdoğan stressed, adding the country’s influence and weight will further increase once its economy grows.
Drawing attention to the ongoing conflicts in the region, particularly the war between the United States and Iran, Erdoğan recalled that Türkiye has been taking all necessary precautions to remain unimpacted by the regional shakeups.
“Türkiye’s ability to handle regional conflicts and crises has been demonstrated once again during this process. Despite the instability surrounding us, Türkiye has emerged as an island of stability in the region,” Erdoğan stressed.
Returning to the pre-war conditions will take time, but Türkiye is ready to face difficulties stemming from the escalation, Erdoğan said, recalling that war in the Middle East and closure of the Strait of Hormuz have resulted in an increase in global inflation.
“Like every country integrated into the global economy, we are affected, in some way, by every positive and negative incident,” the president stated.
“Every war has winners and losers. However, the war with Iran has exceeded tolerable limits, reaching destructive dimensions in terms of global economic prosperity,” Erdoğan said, expressing his hope for an immediate breakthrough in negotiations for permanent peace and stability in the region.
